Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Charging to use community facilities, especially guest rooms

[Mac Thomson (macthomson]

At Heartwood Cohousing, we ask for a $30/night/guest room donation with the 
understanding that guests of community members are not expected to pay the 
donation — but some do anyway. The donation is really for people passing 
through, interested in our community, and looking for a place to stay.

So, IMO, it’s consistent with the idea of the common house being an extension 
of my home. If my dad comes to visit, whether he stays in our home or the 
common house, the same thing happens: he stays for free and we clean up the 
room after he leaves. Visitors who are not attached to anyone in the community, 
however, are expected to pay the donation and then a community volunteer (host) 
cleans up the room after the visitors leave.

So in a way, the common house guest rooms are more like an extension of our 
homes for our guests and more like an Airbnb for visitors — sort of.  :-)

-- 
Mac Thomson

Heartwood Cohousing
Southwest Colorado
http://www.heartwoodcohousing.com


"You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes."
        - John Wooden
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> On Mar 6, 2022, at 10:32 PM, Allison Tom <allisonrtom [at] gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I appreciate those who have taken the time to respond to me on and off list.
> 
> I have to admit that I still can't wrap my head around the general
> acceptance of charging members to use the guest rooms on the grounds that
> "it costs money" to pay for heat and light (hosts do all of the work of
> cleaning, changing bedding, etc) while it's free to use every other space
> in the building, most of which cost more to run and to clean than the guest
> rooms.
> 
> I can't figure out what value is represented by that decision.
> 
> We do limit guest stays to a maximum of 2 weeks, and our guest rooms are in
> high demand, but they are used by some members more than others - just like
> every other space. My strata fees pay for the building maintenance and
> common space heat & light.
> 
> I think that part of my strong discomfort with the policy here is that we
> have about a quarter of our homes priced 25% below market. We are in one of
> the most expensive real estate markets in North America. Many households,
> whether or not they're in below-market units, are in tight quarters and on
> tight budgets. They need the guest rooms for family to visit.
> 
> So we end up charging guest room fees to the community members with the
> least amount of wiggle room. Meanwhile, someone like me who can afford the
> space to have an extra bed won't usually need to use this space.
> 
> So are we fundraising on the backs of the less wealthy community members?
> What value does this serve?
> 
> Thanks again,
> 
> Allison
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